The Here And Now
by Toothlessthegreat
Summary: Years after being abducted from her original family the Fitzwilliams, Elizabeth is found in the small country of Hertfordshire. But the happiness which follows with her return is short lived as shady happenings are yet to come. The love of a family, the heart of a man and the dangers associated with a long forgotten feud can make anyone appreciate the here and now.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

A lone coach traveled down the worn, cobbled streets; heading towards the shabbier, darker sides of the city of London. The shutters were securely closed and bolted; the blinds drawn shut and only the driver in plain sight. The sharp steel of the horse's hooves striking down in quick, brisk motions in a repetitive 'clack' on the street was the only noise that emanated through the dingy neighborhood.

The driver drew the two horses to a stop with a practiced hand, outside a seedy looking establishment by the edge of the road. The grime that coated the windows and walls in abundance allowed only a small light to filter through, but the fact that the house was occupied could not be missed.

The door of the hackney swung open and a young man of medium height and average build hesitantly stepped out. Nervously, he straightened the poorly done cravat at his neck and glanced surreptitiously about him. The alley cats, the hostile glares directed at him from random passer-by's and the twinge of unease he felt as every second ticked past all served to discompose him greatly.

Finally gathering his wits about him, he hastily tipped the driver and moved up the walk; pausing only briefly before rapping on the wood. A slit near the top of the door was yanked aside, leaving two beady eyes in its place.

After an inspection lasting merely seconds, the short question was gruff and almost rude in its abruptness.

"Name?"

The young man cleared his throat once, twice and then fell silent, seemingly unable to speak through his unease. After a moment spent in such a fashion, he managed to summon his courage, giving his particulars in a comprehensible, albeit somewhat unsteady voice.

"Thomas Bennet."

The slit closed abruptly and many rusted bolts and locks being undone could be heard through the thick wood. Finally, the door creaked open an inch and he was ushered within.

Once inside, Bennet surveyed his new whereabout. He was in a small dirty room which held a shockingly sparse amount of furniture, giving it at best a neglected look. The large table in the middle took up most of the room, scattered on it were a few unorganized papers and notes, along with some empty beer bottles which rolled freely about the tabletop whenever it was jostled.

The sole occupants of the room were three men, whose intimidating glares served to raise his already vast unease. The door slammed shut behind him and he forced down the urge to jump at the unexpected noise. A pang of fear gripped him when he heard the bolts being secured. Why did he ever agree to such a scheme?

Well knowing the answer to his rhetorically thought question, he peered at the men before him hoping that one of them would be the first to speak. After a prolonged silence, he was finally prompted to take a seat and a filthy glass was thrust at him. The cheap wine inside the goblet did not serve to raise his spirits on the situation. He was saved from having to start the conversation or worse, sample the wine, when the man in the middle leaned forward and spoke in low tones.

"Saunders tells me you are taking up this job for him," he paused, inspecting Bennet disdainfully; "Are ya up to the task?"

Bennet nodded slowly.

"This is my first…job," he confessed, when the men deemed not to speak again.

The man looked at him in open amusement.

"All the better," he said with a smirk. "Then you won't be so easily traced back to us."

Bennet frowned slightly at the implications of the statement. Saunders had promised him a simple job as his first one, so that he could get used to the occupation. But the little speech the man gave could make any man of some sense wary. Deciding to wait until the man explained further, he chose to remain silent.

"This one needs to be kept for a maximum of two months," the man continued. Already increasingly anxious, Thomas started.

"Two months!"

Saunders had conveniently forgotten to state the terms of this so called 'simple' job.

"Yes, and for good reason. We cannot allow this mission to be thwarted. After all, T'is not often when we manage to kidnap the daughter of an Earl."

Bennet could feel the blood draining from his face. Things were making more sense now. Saunders had successfully blackmailed him into doing this unpleasant job and he now understood why the man was so adamant as to have him take it up. They clearly needed someone very much unconnected with the actual kidnapping so as to pull it off. And who better than himself?

"An Earl's daughter?" he gasped, the words tumbling out of his mouth. "Surely you understand the possible consequences of this. If you are found out-"

He was swiftly cut off.

"We don't ask for your opinion in the matter," growled the man. The two other men flanking him leaned forward menacingly, as though to emphasize the point. Bennet paled further, scrambling to find a way out of this outlandish circumstance.

"This could put my family under much danger," he hissed.

The man waved his hand airily.

"You had to consider the implications of this before entering into the agreement. Your concerns are not mine."

Now that he had entered into this entire shoddy affair, he wouldn't be able to back down without some severe danger to his person, and these men looked extremely capable of inflicting it. Bennet stopped himself short of an angered reply and contemplated his options, stubbornly avoiding a retort. The man glowered at his apparent indecision, but then seemed to consider driving the topic to a more appealing one.

"To make the required arrangements for a suitable ransom and to withhold the girl for an acceptable period of time, we'd need around two months." The man paused. "But trust me when I say that if this is successful, you would walk away with a handsome amount, Bennet."

Bennet drew in a breath and regarded the man before him quizzically, forcing himself to think of why he was doing this; the promise of money providing extra incentive to the situation.

"How much would you be able to gather as ransom?" he asked finally, a mite curious to the vast amount he was sure they would demand. After all, it was not every day that one got the chance to siphon funds from an Earl.

The man stared at him, his expression unreadable and his emotions masked all the more more efficiently due to the poor lighting of the room;. Bennet determined that he would be unable to make out whether or not the man spoke a falsehood.

"I would say around 80,000 pounds. If we keep the girl longer, we might even be able to claim more," the man said finally.

"And the amount I would be entitled to?"

The man examined his nails disinterestedly.

"We would be willing to give you 10 percent of the ransom for your troubles."

Thomas exhaled slowly as he made the quick calculation in his head. Yes, 8000 pounds was a handsome amount for a job such as his current one. But he was a fool if he was to walk away from this meeting empty handed.

"That is all well and good, sir," said he. "But what of the costs that will be incurred with the housing of the girl? Surely you do not expect me to wait until you receive the ransom, to pay me for this?" He knew that affairs such as these were always at a great risk of going astray,as was often the case with matters concerning the upper spheres of society. He therefore had no intention of acquiescing to the job without making sure that he was, at the very least, adequately funded for it.

The hostility in the atmosphere thickened noticeably, the looks on the faces of all men present darkening as he made his request. A low murmuring began between the men, rising slightly as two of them violently protested to the notion.

Finally the man who was most obviously the leader slammed his fist on the table, hard enough to cut off any other heated replies.

"The man speaks sense," he said lowly. "Very well Bennet, how much would you ask for?"

Bennet watched the man warily. The ensuing consequences if he made an overt demand were not lost to him as he worked up his courage. Finally, his brow furrowed and he met the gaze of the other man.

"4000 pounds."

The uproar was instantaneous; one of them even went so far as to shove his chair backwards and tower with barely contained emotion over Bennet.

"You ask for half the amount?" asked the lead man dangerously.

Anxiety and nervousness racked Bennet as he straightened his cravat. Not willing to back down from the obstacles he faced, he answered with as much confidence as he could muster, given the situation.

"Half the amount is adequate compensation for the losses I would face while raising a girl for a two month period, yes," he said as calmly as he could manage.

The man glared at him for a total of five minutes before sighing.

"Done."

Bennet had barely time enough to breathe a sigh in relief before he was ripped from his seat by the lapels of his travelling coat. Thrust to his feet, he was then most unceremoniously pulled through a small door, which had escaped his notice earlier. Straightening his collars and glaring at the man who had man-handled him so, he surveyed the room he was brought to.

It was a filthy little room, where two single mattresses occupied most of its space. The bad lighting caused him to squint at the bundle of shapes he could just make out, huddled together on the mattresses. He drew closer and inspected the children arranged on the make shift beds.

One was occupied by a young boy who looked no more than 10 years old. He was clutching the sleeping form of a small girl to himself tightly, tear tracks visible standing out visibly on the dirty skin of his cheeks. He stiffened as Bennet stepped closer, scowling up at him and hugging the girl even more securely to him.

Bennet eyed him sympathetically. Judging from the poorly cut clothes he wore, he wasn't one of the gentry, in fact, it would be most probable if he was indeed one of the lower class. His fate could not be worse, if the ransom asked in place of his safe return could not be met, he would be sold off as a slave or sent to work in the other establishments around town.

Averting his eyes from the plight of the two children, Bennet quelled his uneasiness and moved to the other bed. The tiny mattress beheld two sleeping girls, both of whom were shivering under the meager blanket provided to them. The slightly larger one had mousy brown hair, bunched around her head in a fashion often sported by maids, she was turned to the side, attempting to gain warmth from the other body next to hers. Bennet turned his gaze to the other.

It was no difficulty in presuming that the girl was, indeed, very different from the other children in the room. Her dress, although dirty and scraped in places, was of fine quality. Her features, more clear cut; the high cheekbones, dark tresses and sharp features giving her an air of nobility.

She looked so vulnerable in slumber, her tiny form pulled up against the older girls and shivering pitifully. Bennet felt his heart go out to the girl. To be wrenched from a loving family and a comfortable life at so young an age, thrust into a world that was most decidedly not her own, was a cruel fate to befall anyone.

"That's the girl," grunted the man beside him. He reached forward as if to grip her but Bennet stopped him, hastily picking up her slight form and cradling her against him. He would not see a mere child handled so roughly by the likes of these men.

The man shrugged and moved back to the entrance, gesturing for him to follow. As he entered the room, a bag of money was pushed into his hands and he was all but thrown out of the building.

The lead man watched him shrewdly.

"Two months, Bennet and I'll send someone over to pick her up."

And with that, the door was slammed shut.

Glancing around him to see if he was gaining any suspicious stares from the passing people, Bennet hailed the first hackney he could espy and eventually was able to bundle the girl safely into the confines of a carriage.

Heaving a sigh, Bennet sat down across from the child and put his head in his hands. What had he done? He was a man who normally stuck to his morals and yet here he was, caught in the middle of an abduction of an innocent. He had no choice, he told himself miserably. He had no way of refusing to be a part of this without provoking serious danger to his family and his own person.

He made up his mind then and there, would look after the girl as best as he could. Determination flooded his breast. He would do everything within his power to make her two months away from her family more bearable. It was the least he could do to rectify his sin.

His wife would be less than pleased with having another mouth to feed for two months. But the money would cease her protests as it always did. The thought left him with a faint hint of disgust in his mouth. The slight stirring of the girl across him caught his attention, and he watched as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were quite beautiful; dark, swirling depths of obsidian black that peeked out from under thick lashes.

She blinked, the sleepiness disappearing, slowly from her eyes. When she finally sat up, it was with a small frown marring her little face as she looked about her.

"Who are you?" she asked finally, peeking at him inquisitively.

Bennet straightened in his seat and smiled at her gently.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," he paused watching her. "My name is Thomas Bennet."

The girl blinked once again, eyeing him.

"And mine is Elizabeth," she finally replied, a grin pulling at her lips.

Bennet chuckled; he quite liked this forward little creature. She attempted to look out the window and he watched as her face fell when she realized that the curtains were drawn.

"Are we going to Mama and Papa now?" she inquired hopefully. "That other man promised he would take me to them after he showed me around the park," she frowned at this, beginning to sniffle.

"But that was yesterday. Then, I stayed the night. I did not like their bed, and the girl I met was sad, I wonder why she was sad..." She trailed off, then looked to him. As if he would answer her unspoken questions. Make everything right once more.

Bennet winced inwardly.

"No, Elizabeth. We are going to my house. You will like it there. There is a little girl about your age for you to play with," he spoke, hoping to distract her from her earlier thoughts.

Evidently it worked, as she leaned forward eagerly.

"Truly? I have always wanted another girl to play with! I only have two brothers, and they are both much older than me," her nose crinkled. "They don't like my games but Richard pretends to be interested." Again her voice dropped in despair for a few moments.

Her expression brightened though as she looked at him again.

"Do you have any story books that you might read to me?" she bounced slightly in her seat, quite excited at the prospect of visiting.

"Do you like books, Elizabeth?" asked Bennet.

He was pleasantly surprised when she answered in the affirmative and began to prattle on about the various tasks she enjoyed doing. Yes, he wouldn't mind keeping this child with him for two months. Indeed, she was most interesting, and he found himself wondering whether he would be disappointed when the day came for her to leave but just as quickly pushed the thought away.

 _ **End Prologue**_

* * *

 **Edited: 06.06.16/ 06.50am**


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **A.N - Hello. I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait. Hopefully that won't be happening much in the future. So some of you had reviewed with your concerns that this story would end up uncompleted and that you would rather wait to read the finished story. All I have to say is, I'm totally fine with it and I know the feel! :)**

 **Thank you for all the lovely reviews.**

 **And a big shout out to my beta LizzieBdarcy. I couldn't have done it without you!**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Elizabeth raced eagerly down the small slope, loving the feel of the warm sunlight on her face. Her good mood increased alongside the cool breeze that brushed back the hair from her eyes as she neared the rickety old fence that traced the contours of the Longbourn property.

Her dark, expressive eyes glinted in anticipation as they alighted on the large oak tree situated just yonder from the fence. Situated a few meters off the Longbourn property, the tree had become a favored hideaway for the young girl over the years. It was an ancient thing, with a wide sturdy trunk and a surplus of branches which made it a relatively easy climb. The tree had been a constant ever since she could remember and was the first one she'd dare climb. Over time a great many hollows had made their subtle appearance on the face of the bark, which resulted in an abundance of wildlife setting up residence. This of course had furthered Elizabeth's enthusiasm for the tree, as she took great pleasure in exploring its various nooks and crannies.

As she drew nearer to her destination, she pondered on the obstacle between her and her beloved tree. Her one and only reservation about this daily activity was the old fence which efficiently separated the Longbourn property from the Netherfield one. It was extremely worn down and as old as the tree if not more so. It also made the most disturbing noises when even a light weight was forced on it. But not even the dangers of a creaky fence could keep the spirited girl from her favorite past time and she soon pressed on.

Gathering her courage, Elizabeth clutched onto one of the lower rungs and deftly swung one boot clad foot on to it. The fence came up to her shoulders, even in this elevated position, and being but a girl of ten years, it was quite a daunting task.

Biting her lip, she warily exerted more of her weight onto it and in reaction the fence creaked ominously. Testing her balance, she then cautiously hoisted her other foot on. The fence swayed ever so slightly, but otherwise held strong. Swallowing her fear, she was soon scrambling over it and towards the tree.

Latching onto a lower branch she began the climb with the ease only achieved through constant practice. Taking care not to upset herself, she perched on one of the branches and looked about her, basking in the satisfaction that came with her recent climb; content to enjoy the peace and solitude she found in this sanctuary of sorts.

Once she caught her breath, she glanced about, trying to determine where she'd left off exploring. The last hole in which she had come across had the most adorable little squirrel in it and she hoped to make a pet of the small creature. Therefore she was thoroughly occupied and almost didn't notice a young man, in a queer coat, walking down the dirt path that led to her tree.

Elizabeth froze, eyes widening almost comically before she had the good sense to bolt, diving into the most obscured patch of branches and leaves that she could espy. Her reaction was understandable, as the last time someone had happened upon her engaging in such a pursuit, she had been dragged home to her mother. The resulting barrage of censure had been quite unpleasant and she liked to think that her left ear was now slightly elevated from the relentless twisting it had endured. If there was one thing she had learnt from all her escapades, it was that she should never get caught!

Shifting slightly, she carefully arranged the leaves about her so as not to be hindered in the process of watching the stranger, praying for him to walk past the tree. But fortune was not in her favor, for the man approached the tree directly and had soon seated himself beneath it. She watched with no small amount of annoyance as the man set about leaning against the bark and stretching his legs out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

Scowling darkly, Elizabeth resigned herself to the long wait that would surely follow with the arrival of the man. The child bit back the huff of frustration that threatened to fall from her lips, instead trying to make herself more comfortable in her rather awkward position. Thus settled, she then angled her head so as to give her an unfettered view of the man beneath her.

As time dwindled by and the stranger made no signs of leaving, she began to fidget as was wont to happen to any child her age. Crossing her arms petulantly, she glared at the man. If only he could have found some other tree to rest under! Had he not come traipsing on what she considered her territory, never would she have ended up in a mess such as this. When a further ten minutes passed with no change in her situation, she began to seriously reconsider whether the wait was worth the effort from escaping a scolding. Elizabeth just as quickly disregarded that notion almost as soon as it had come, she wouldn't want to be the cause of her mother's ire for anything.

As far back as she could remember Elizabeth's mother had placed her in disdain. Nothing she did was ever good enough, nothing she said was ever interesting enough and all that made her who she was deserved censure. Because of this blatant dislike that Mrs. Bennet had no trouble in expressing towards her second eldest; Elizabeth had always found solace in her father.

Her father was a whimsical man, well known for his dry humor and wit. While he had never been accused of being an affectionate man, he seemed to bear Elizabeth with more tolerance, and perhaps even favor, than her other sisters. T'was he the one who encouraged her to read the various books that littered his modest library and to engage in such pursuits as these. In turn, Elizabeth greatly enjoyed her father's company as it was a balm to her hurt over her mother's mistreatment. Were it solely his decision, she had no doubt her father wouldn't mind her tree studies one bit.

Tired of pursuing this train of thought, Elizabeth once again focused her attention on the man. Tilting her head curiously she quietly pushed away a few offending leaves and peered down at the stranger.

He didn't look like any man she had seen in Meryton before, and she prided herself on always remembering a face. Although to be fair, she couldn't quite make out his countenance from her position above him. What drew her attention was, in fact, the coat which he wore. It was a gaily colored red coat, a stark contrast with the white set of breeches he wore. She had only seen attire like this in one of her father's more illustrious books. If she was not mistaken, he was most presumably a soldier. Elizabeth did not know what a soldier's presence in Meryton would signify and therefore soon allowed her attention to drift to his other features.

He was a blonde haired man, and judging from the long legs stretched out before him, a tall one. Unfortunately, her position would not allow her any more insight to his features, as she could just barely make out a nose, from underneath the mop of sun kissed hair. She squirmed in her seat for a time, not noticing the noise that she was inevitably making in her quest to gain a look at the man, but in vain, she could not make out one other feature.

Pouting in disappointment, she ceased her movements only to jolt in place once more when the object of her interest moved. He shifted slightly, and then sunk lower against the trunk, crossing his arms beneath his head, and tilting his face upwards.

Elizabeth froze, his entire face was visible to her, his eyes were shaded due to his fair hair, but she assumed they were closed. Were he to open them even briefly, he would see her up above him, the prospect of which she found most troubling. Just as she was about to lean backwards and move to another branch, her breath caught. There was something vaguely familiar about his features, from the shape of his nose to the high cheekbones and the errant lock of hair bouncing along his brow.

Her curiosity piqued she moved forwards, inching slowly over the branch, not knowing that in doing so Elizabeth was putting herself in considerable danger.

She was leaning heavily forward over the branch, directly above the intriguing man, when her footing slipped causing her to jerk forward. With frightening velocity, she found herself tipping over the edge of the branch. Panic burst in her chest with every failed attempt of her small hands to grab onto some support. She could not secure herself and she was fast losing her balance. A short scream slipped past her open lips as she fell, catapulting towards the ground and heart in her throat.

The ground was fast approaching and she was too caught up to notice that the officer beneath her was no longer there. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried her utmost to brace herself for an impact that never came.

Instead something broke her fall, jarring her with its abruptness and yet enfolding her in warm security. Several seconds passed in this position before she could breathe freely again and even then, she kept her eyes shut tightly as she fought her confusion and fear.

Finally steeling herself, she opened her eyes and bit back a gasp when she saw who had stopped her fall. The man she had been observing but seconds ago was leaning over her, his arms wrapped securely around her as he straightened and lowered her gently to the ground.

She flicked her eyes up to his face, and looked into his eyes for the first time. They were a smoky gray, warm and kind and yet again she was caught unawares by a flood of familiarity. So far as she knew, he was but a stranger, whom she was quite certain she had never set eyes on before...

Or had she?

Her brow crinkled in thought and she looked away quickly, shaking her head slightly in effort to rid it of its wayward thoughts.

"That was quite a fall, miss," said the man, a note of curiosity in his voice, which served to cut her musings short.

More than slightly shaken by these recent events, Elizabeth said nothing. Instead all she could do was wring her hands nervously, keeping her gaze fixed steadily on the ground and her head bowed.

The man knelt down so that he was on eye level with her, but she studiously avoided his gaze, instead finding great interest in a few ants running across her boot. So small, perhaps they were headed home to their mama's- oh! It was only then she remembered her mother, who would surely wonder at her being in such a state. In a panic, her head shot up, dark eyes flying to his, to finally meet his gaze.

"Please sir, you will not tell my mother, will you?" she asked anxiously, biting her lip in frustration. After all the trouble she had gone through to stay unobserved in her little 'expedition', her plans were thwarted by her own negligence and lack of personal safety.

The man did not reply, instead he was looking at her, eyes wide in recognition. He faltered, stumbling back slightly with an emotion she could not read in his gaze; all the while never allowing his eyes to stray from her face.

Shifting uncomfortably under such odd scrutiny, she averted her gaze once more. With her savior so agitated and Elizabeth in a similar state, she scuffed the ground with the tip of her boot, brow furrowed in confusion. From the edge of her vision, she saw the man stiffen almost imperceptibly.

"W-what is your name?" he breathed, so quietly she had to strain to hear the words spoken. Then he seemed to catch himself, snapping out of whatever thoughts he had been assaulted by. Clearing his throat nervously, he approached her again, tentatively this time, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he made any sudden movements.

"Forgive me; I am new to this area. Allow me to introduce myself," he swept a hasty bow. "Lt. Richard Fitzwilliam."

Elizabeth now started, for at his introduction the name resonated from somewhere deeply within her. She could not understand exactly, but she was almost certain that she knew this man. Her face scrunched with an attempt to remember, becoming slightly distressed when she could not. It was only then she realized that he was watching her, waiting for her reply.

She curtsied as best as she could, a little ashamed at her lack of manners.

"Elizabeth Bennet, sir."

The man's eyes widened again, and his mouth moved but no sound came through. Finally he shook his head and looked at her apologetically.

"Perhaps I could escort you home, madam. And introduce myself to your…family." The last word was said in a queer way, but Elizabeth seemed not to notice, she was currently worried about the reaction of said family.

"You will not tell them of- of this?" she asked hesitantly, repeating her question from earlier as she gestured to the tree.

The man's reaction was bewilderment until understanding dawned in his eyes, which swiftly turned to amusement.

"I give you my word," he said with an exaggerated bow and a smile on his lips, "that I will not tell a soul."

Elizabeth's face broke out in a grin as she beamed up at him. She could not understand the familiarity of this man, but he certainly was good to keep her secrets safe.

* * *

Lt. Richard Fitzwilliam tucked his correspondence into the pocket of his coat as he rambled along the country lanes in the wilds of Hertfordshire. It had been but two days since he had arrived with two others of his regiment. They were to gain experience in a small country and then report back to where their regiment was situated. Being an amiable fellow by nature, he soon found the people of Meryton to be pleasing and courteous. But the unvaried society and slightly dull conversationalists gave him cause to enjoy the splendors of the outdoors all the more.

He had informed his fellow soldiers that he was to take a brief walk and would return in time for his duties in a scheme to enjoy the scenery on his own. With no specific location in mind, Richard had set out along a small path which had led him, quite unexpectedly, onto the Netherfield property. He paused but briefly to admire the fine house from afar before continuing along a smaller dirt road that soon led him towards an old oak tree at the contours of a fence.

Tired after his long walk, he was quite pleased with the shade and comfort the large tree gave, and was soon rather happily settled under it, reveling in the comfortable position he found himself in. No sooner had he backed up languidly against the tree when he heard a slight rustling above him.

Immediately he was on alert. As a man having but recently joined the army, he did not yet have the reflexes of those more experienced but he was trained to remain alert even in the more lax of situations. He allowed his eyes to close, and yet kept a firm ear on the sound. It quieted after a few moments and he assumed it was an animal of some sort. The tree was a marvelous eco-system; he rationalized, there would be plenty of animals about it.

Not quarter past an hour of this thought, did the rustling start once again. Irked at the noise, Richard fought the impulse to glare up into the tree. The rustling sounded louder than that which a small animal could make and this was rather disconcerting.

Shifting further in his seat, he slid down the trunk and tilted his head back, hands curling behind him to support his head; his hair effectively shadowing his eyes from an aerial view. He took this as an opportunity to peek up, from under his locks in an attempt to discern the source of the noise.

As his eyes were half lidded, his vision was slightly blurred, yet the figure he saw up in the tree was unmistakably that of a young girl.

How singular, he thought in vague surprise. It was not often that you came upon a girl up such a height. 'Children will be children', he thought indulgently as he prepared to get up from his position.

It was then that he noticed that the little thing was leaning forward rather dangerously in her seat. And then he saw her tip forward, seemingly losing her balance as she careened forward. He had just enough time to jump to his feet and turn, before she let out a short scream and fell off the branch she had been clinging to.

With a jarring thud, his arms enfolded the falling body before it reached the ground, sparing her of the injuries she surely would have faced had he not been successful.

Exhaling in relief, he loosened his grip slightly and shifted with the little one in his arms. Only then did he notice that she had yet to open her eyes, and that her breathing was somewhat irregular. Understanding her shock, he waited for her to open her eyes and then set her down gently, trying his very best to be careful lest she was injured.

Once upon the ground, she met his eyes fleetingly before casting her gaze to the floor. He had barely managed to catch even a glimpse at her face, but there was something undeniably familiar about her. He took in her dark, mahogany curls and the shape of her face...cautiously he stepped nearer, hoping to draw a reaction. "That was quite a fall, miss," he intoned, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He watched as she wrung her hands, in a nervous state. And still she looked away...

Kneeling in front of her so as to be on eye level, he tilted his head slightly. She still would not look up. Then suddenly, her hands tightened and her head flicked up causing her obsidian black eyes, filled with anxiety, to finally meet his own.

It was at that moment that he felt time stop.

The eyes staring back at him were all too familiar, he could not be mistaken. He had seen the very same eyes, in the face of his sister, eight years back as she smiled up at him from her place on the carpet of the nursery. He remembered the countless times that face had screwed into uncertainty when she was toddling in parts of the house unknown. Those same eyes, in the face of his father, that caused him to despise looking into them, because it reminded him of his lost baby sister.

His breath hitched and his head reeled as he stumbled backward, still staring into those emotion filled eyes. He could not bring himself to look away. The girl shifted uneasily and cast her eyes down again, effectively snapping him from the trance he had worked himself into and he vaguely registered that she had asked something of him. He took a deep breath, stiffening as his eyes raked over her face. Now that he considered it, her features were startlingly similar to those of his lost sibling, and the wave of emotion that followed was almost unbearable.

"W-what is your name?" he found himself asking before he could stop the words from escaping his traitorous lips. Shaking his head, he backtracked.

"Forgive me; I am new to this area. Allow me to introduce myself." Remembering his manners, he bowed quickly. "Lt. Richard Fitzwilliam."

She met his gaze once more, as she curtsied politely. "Elizabeth Bennet, sir," she offered.

His eyes widened in shock. Elizabeth! The very name of his sister. He vaguely registered that his mouth was open and hastily closed it, looking at her with an apology in his eyes.

"Perhaps I could escort you home, madam. And introduce myself to your…family," he could not help the indignant tone of voice that he used when he spoke of her so called family. If she truly was his sister, there would be a lot of explaining to do.

She seemed worried once more, glancing at him apprehensively so much so that he worried that she had picked up on his subtle change of tone.

"You will not tell them of... of this?" she asked finally, once she had fidgeted a great deal.

Richard eyed her in confusion, noticing that she gestured to the tree. His mind already addled with the shock of seeing his sister in a country girl, made it understandable that he was initially led to believe that she was referring to the fact that she was a foundling. Soon though he disregarded the ridiculous assumption and understanding dawned when he realized that she might, indeed, be wary of her family finding out that she engaged in climbed trees. His eyes dancing in open amusement, he cut an exaggerated bow.

"I give you my word, that I will not tell a soul," he said with a brief grin.

He watched, immensely pleased, as her face lit up into a bright grin and her anxiety faded away.

"Come, you can show me the way," he said amiably as he gestured down the path. Elizabeth bit her lip, turning to regard the fence, and then again turning to face him.

Richard too followed her gaze to the fence and back, brow quirked in inquiry.

"I am from the Longbourn estate, sir," she said finally. "And this is Netherfield property." She paused once again. "I came here from over the fence, and am not sure of any other path to take."

Richard suddenly understood her dilemma. She had obviously vaulted over the fence to get to the tree, and was likely embarrassed to have to admit so to him.

"Longbourn you say?" he asked kindly, "I know the path, but I'm afraid it is at quite a distance, as this is the far end of Netherfield. About five miles, I should say," he continued, talking more to him than to her.

"It would be easier, if we climbed the fence." He said, as he turned his head to look at her, a mischievous grin adorning his features. Elizabeth stared.

"We-You would do this? Truly?" she asked, a peal of surprised laughter escaping her as she regarded him.

He smiled down at her, "Of course, but I shall help you over. We do not require an injury so soon after avoiding one." He said jovially. He leant down and gently picked her up, raising her well above the small fence and easing her to the other side. Once he had completed this chore, he swung his leg over and easily conquered the distance.

With a bright smile, she began leading him up the hill, casting curious glances over her shoulder every few seconds. His heart twisted as he observed her and he did something he had not allowed himself to since the moment the search for his sister had stopped.

Hope.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes**

 **So hey. Yes I am a terribly slow updater. My most sincere apologies, but it seems as though life is in the busy phase. A big thank you to my beta LizzieB, once again you've saved the day.**

 **Thank you everyone who reviewed. The feedback was really appreciated.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

Lt. Fitzwilliam trudged up the small slope, growing wearier by the minute. It had just occurred to him that he might be entirely wrong about Elizabeth. Apart from his instinctual reasoning that Elizabeth was indeed his sister, he had absolutely no proof.

Frowning deeply, he attempted to think of a solution for the problem he now faced. He could not be entirely certain that his father would believe him; the Earl would sooner believe that Richard was indulging in wilful fantasies than allow himself to believe that his long lost daughter had been found. Which in turn meant that meant that he would have to collect substantial evidence before bringing the matter before his father. An insistent tugging at his sleeve brought him out of his troubled thoughts.

He turned to Elizabeth, who was trotting beside him and started when he realized that she was looking at him questioningly. " I-I beg your pardon?" he asked, embarrassed that he had been caught unawares by the young girl. She didn't seem to notice, however, as she quickly repeated her question on his various duties as a lieutenant.

He had been pleasantly surprised when after her initial reserve, her curiosity had peaked and she had struck up a bright conversation with him. Gradually their talk turned to some rambling stories about her various misadventures which Richard had enjoyed immensely. She soon switched topics again, however and he in turn had begun contemplating the vast number of issues this discovery would bring about.

Replying as best as he could, he watched in amusement as she began regaling him with references to the various books she had found on wars in her father's library. Animated, hands gesturing in wild enthusiasm, the girl continued in her cheerfully innocent manner. It was during this happy outburst, when she was being particularly expressive; that she tilted her face away from him. The changed countenance made him stop in his tracks.

It was a small birthmark, just below her jaw. His eyes widened as recognition flooded into them. A memory briefly played out in his head, a morning in the nursery attempting to entertain his sister as she twisted about the cot, the first time that he had noted the small birthmark, cleverly hidden under her jaw.

He fought the impulse to grin in triumph. But of course! Birthmarks! The one thing that could prove that she was Elizabeth Fitzwilliam of- . He was brought out of his musings when she suddenly tugged at his coat, evidently her newly favored form of address and began running.

Bewildered, he stood by and watched as she topped the hill and turned to face him. She directed him excitedly towards the other side of the hill.

"Come! This is Longbourne," she cried.

Intrigued, Richard walked over to where she was standing and looked in the direction of the estate. The house he saw was a quaint little thing. A small garden out front with a variety of flowers and a white fence surrounding the area were the first aspects to catch his eye. And then the building with ivy covering a side of it and windows facing full west, he noted with an amused smile, wondering what Lady Catherine would have to say to this.

Taking this all in,he turned to see Elizabeth peering at it suspiciously. She finally gave a small huff of disappointment and turned to face him.

"I cannot be certain if Mama is in the parlour from here," she explained morosely. "It would be much easier if she was out of the way." She gestured at her slightly soiled skirts. "She will not take well to the sight of this."

Richard chuckled. "Come now, it shall not be as bad as all that." He said, beginning to walk down the hill. She immediately fell into pace beside him.

"Oh, it most certainly shall!" she retorted with an exaggerated sigh as she led the way.

000

The butler who received them at the door, upon seeing Elizabeth with Richard, immediately ushered the both of them inside and into the front parlour where the family were assembled.

Richard smiled tightly and bowed to the group of people as he was announced by the butler and in turn introduced to a Mrs. Bennet and a Miss Jane Bennet.

"Pray, give me leave to bid you good morning ladies. I am exceedingly sorry to impose upon you, I just happened upon Miss Elizabeth this morning and merely escorted her home," said Richard politely.

"Oh, it is no imposition sir. I hope that Elizabeth did not cause you any trouble? She is a headstrong girl and is always getting up to some mischief or other!" Mrs. Bennet aimed this last remark at her daughter, eyeing Elizabeth disapprovingly all the while.

"Not at all Madame. She was quite well behaved," he said hastily and expertly sidestepped further questioning by graciously accepting the invitation to tea.

He was seated with the ladies for a matter of minutes before the master of the house came down to partake of his refreshment. Richard observed the standard introductions with the man and for the rest of the visit monitored closely his interactions. The man seemed not to be of the vicious sort, his character leant more towards wit, dry humour and idleness. And yet, if his intuition was right, this man played a role in the absconding of a child.

Overall,the visit with the Bennets proved to be very trying indeed. He found that Mrs. Bennet was a vulgar sort of woman, who criticized Elizabeth far too much to be considered a loving mother. Mr. Bennet, a man of few words who seemed to enjoy ridiculing his wife above exchanging pleasantries. Miss Jane Bennet appeared a sweet girl who barely spoke through out the entirety of his visit , which wasn't unusual as children were, quoting from Lady Catherine, to be seen and not heard.

Other than sketching out the basic characters of the Bennet tribe, Richard could perceive no other information which would further his case. So once the standard half hour was up, he bowed politely and took his leave, managing to shoot a grin at Elizabeth on his way out.

As he walked back to his quarters at Meryton he contemplated all that occurred in the short span of time and frowned as he pondered on all the problems that he would face in the near future. It was time that he consider a battle strategy.

000

Jane and Elizabeth snuck up the stairs quietly, the latter narrowly avoiding a thorough set down from her mother. Elizabeth perched herself on the bed while Jane pulled out a fresh dress for her to get into.

"I do wish that you would discontinue with this tree climbing Lizzie. You know how much it vexes Mama," Jane scolded gently as she helped her sister into the dress. Elizabeth sighed, allowing her sister to button her up. "Everything I do vexes Mama," she said, a mite bitterly. "So why should I go to lengths to suspend an activity that brings me great pleasure merely to appease her?"

Jane frowned, "She is your mother Lizzie. She only wants what is best for you." She her favorite sister droop at her reproving, Jane aimed to soften her words by changing the subject.

"How then did you come upon Lt. Fitzwilliam?" she asked with a small smile. "Surely he did not catch you on one of your adventures?" Elizabeth fiddled with a bit of lace guiltily. "Indeed he did Jane, although the circumstances called for him to catch me quite literally." Jane looked at her with incredulity. "Surely not! Lizzie! Did you fall out of a tree? Are you hurt?" she questioned worriedly.

Elizabeth scowled, "It was more his fault than mine Janey," she said with an air of petulance as she flopped back on the bed. "And I am perfectly well, not a scratch on me!"

Jane frowned in concern, "What on earth do you mean? How could your fall have been his fault?" she asked, settling down next to Elizabeth. There was a pause where Elizabeth struggled to come up with an explanation for her distraction.

"I hardly know," she finally admitted with a sigh. "He looked ever so familiar Jane, I was almost entirely sure that I had seen him before." Jane eyed her sceptically, not really knowing how to reply to this. Elizabeth however rolled onto her side and grinned up at Jane.

"Never mind that, I am off to go traipsing once more," she said brightly, already clambering to her feet and heading for the door. Jane sighed in exasperation. "Do be careful Lizzie, that is a new frock you know. At least take John Lucas with you," she pleaded after her.

Lizzie laughed merrily.

"John Lucas could never keep up with the likes of me." She exclaimed, skipping out of the room.

000

He rested his palm on the table, pen hovering indecisively on the sheet of paper in front of him. He knew not what would come of this letter should he send it to his father.

Nevertheless, this information had to be parted with as swiftly as was able. Whether his father chose to believe him mattered not. He could not sit idly by when faced with this situation.

Gathering his resolve, he signed off the letter and headed to the post, nodding briefly to his Colonel on his way out of the barracks.

* * *

Lord Fittzwilliam of Chesterfield was known widely to be a man of great consequence and of sparse idle time.

He not only controlled the Earldom of Chesterfield, which although not the largest in Derbyshire was a very wealthy one, he also managed a large estate in the county. All these responsibilities which had befallen him along with the tragic happenings among his family had served to make him a very withdrawn man.

He pushed his chair away from the table, leaning back and sighing as his back twinged in protest. He had sat hunched over the pile of papers for over an hour now and he was being reminded of his age in the most displeasing of ways. Running a hand through his greying hair he surveyed the unfinished work strewn about his desk with distaste, the corner of his mouth turned down wearily as he leaned forward once more to complete the task.

The corner of an envelope caught his eye and his brow furrowed. Had he not attended to his correspondence a day before? Although 'attended to' was not the word to be used in this instance, as half the invitations he had received had found themselves smouldering in the fire.

Still, this lone envelope should not have been among his estate accounts. Scowling, he reached out and extracted it from the mess of papers , immediately intrigued when he caught sight of the signature. What could Richard have to write to him about? It was indeed a rare occurrence, he noted guiltily, that he kept up correspondence with his son.

Neatly breaking the seal, he smoothed out the paper and began to read.

His expression changed rapidly throughout, his face draining of all colour and in a second regaining it all with an angry flush. Merely seeing the syllables of his only daughter's name threatened to break the dam of memories he had forcefully buried in the deepest pits of his mental recesses.

Clenching his teeth he thrust the letter away from him. Raising a shaking hand up to his mouth he regarded the slightly crumpled stationery with a fearsome glare.

"By God Richard, if you have got this wrong..."

* * *

Mr. Worthing, the owner of the little book shop in Meryton smiled indulgently at his favourite little customer, Miss Elizabeth Bennett; who was at the moment placing a rather heavy bundle of books on his countertop.

He bent down to help her with the load and smiled when she immediately rushed back to her previous occupation of browsing the titles she could reach. Beside her stood a tall young man in army regimentals who seemed to be suppressing his mirth at her enthusiasm.

"Miss Elizabeth, do you not think that is enough for the day?" he heard the man ask quietly, humour colouring his tone.

The girl did not spare a glance at him as she continued her browsing.

"Papa has given me a little more money than usual as he expects me to start learning Latin under him soon," she replied absently.

The man looked bewildered. "And would you like to learn such a language?"

Mr. Worthing chuckled as the girl proceeded to convince him of her anticipation to learn.

It was then that he heard the well known sound of a carriage being pulled down the street.

Curiously he walked to the window and looked out. Not many neighbours in the county possessed a carriage, indeed it was mainly the Lucas' or the Bennets who ever came about town in a carriage and even they preferred to walk the relatively short distance. He was therefore startled when the carriage which made past the shop was a very grand one, bearing an unrecognizable crest.

He turned back to the other occupants in the shop and duly noted that the young man who had escorted Miss Elizabeth was now staring out the window, anxiety written over his face.

The young man immediately bowed to Miss Elizabeth, apologizing for his haste and that he must leave, which she waved off briskly, to Mr. Worthing's amusement, and then made for the door.

Peculiar indeed.

000

Richard was shocked to see a carriage bearing the Fitzwilliam crest making its way down the streets of Meryton. Not able to comprehend that his father had come so swiftly upon receiving his note and not being able to find any other particular reason why he would come if not for that purpose, Richard hastened out of the door.

The carriage seemed to be heading to the militia barracks. Sighing, Richard walked briskly after it. He was sure that his father would demand his presence immediately. Halfway there he was hailed by one of his bunkmates, Lt. Wells.

"Richard, the Colonel wants you. Some chap from that carriage came by looking for you it seems. Have you any clue about what is happening?" he asked, as soon as he had got his attention.

Richard shook his head and walked past him, he had too much on his mind to attempt a suitable answer and Lt. Wells seemed to realize his friends preoccupation as he followed behind silently.

Once he made it back to the barracks he saw his father talking rather stiffly with his Colonel. When the men caught sight of them they stood slowly and Richard cut a swift bow, meeting his father's eyes briefly.

"Lt. Fitzwilliam, it seems that a family matter has arisen. I shall leave you now to discuss it with your father," said the Colonel as he nodded to his soldier and left the room.

"Father," said Richard as he made his way to him.

Lord Chesterfield nodded in greeting. "Richard, is there a place where I might speak with you privately?"

Richard nodded. "Perhaps we could walk? Hertfordshire has a very beautiful landscape," he said, gesturing outside before turning on his heel and walking out.

Once they were safely out of Meryton and were walking down one of the paths which he often frequented, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"I did not think you would arrive so soon, sir." He began, "I had sent the letter by express only three days ago."

Lord Chesterfield scowled. "How could I delay? The things you have mentioned in the letter begged my immediate attention. And Hertfordshire is at an easy distance from London, I saw no obstacle in my mission to arrive as soon as possible." He replied.

Richard grimaced.

"And what did you think of the letter?" he questioned.

His father looked at him sharply. "I was completely at a loss. How was it that this amazing coincidence occurred? Do you not realize the seriousness of these accusations that you saw fit to lay on paper?"

Richard looked away, his mouth pursing and obviously perturbed.

"So you do not believe me?"

"I do not know what to believe. Surely you cannot expect me to embrace the situation with no qualms," argued Lord Fitzwilliam, frustration leaking from his tone.

"I expect you to explain Richard, and I shall listen fairly."

And so he did.

"This is the most extraordinary tale," he murmured after Richard had finished explaining. "But have you no further evidence other than the birthmark and your instinct?"

Richard crossed his arms defiantly. "Father, had you seen her for yourself you would not have an objection. She has a striking resemblance to Mother and she has your eyes, an exact replica I must say." Lord Chesterfield sighed and rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.

"And if she is indeed Elizabeth Fitzwilliam, her current family will have a lot to atone for," he said finally. Richard nodded gravely. They walked on in silence for a while until Richard spoke again.

"Does Henry know?" he asked.

Lord Chesterfield started. "Your brother? No, I rushed from town as soon as I had ordered the carriage. I did not inform anyone." He paused slightly. "Nor did I want to give false hope."

Richard glared at him. "I am certain that she is my sister, sir. But if you need more proof then we must search for birthmarks."

He shook his head absently. "I do believe we have enough proof. I would like to, however, see her before we confront Mr. Bennett."

"Do you plan on visiting today?" asked Richard with a raised brow. It was not like his father to act so impulsively.

The older man seemed to consider for a moment before shaking his head in the negative. "No, I do not believe that would be wise. We need to plan how to go about the conversation."

Richard agreed and silently the both of them turned so as to head toward Meryton once more.

"I will take up residence at the inn and shall send word to you later in the afternoon to discuss our options," he said curtly. Richard nodded once in acknowledgement before silently continuing on their path. He was surprised then to see Miss Elizabeth heading down the road, quite alone.

He quickly glanced at his father, his look assuring the man of the girl's identity.

"Miss Elizabeth," he called, quickening his pace unconsciously. "Pray tell why are you on the road back alone? I seem to recall that Miss Lucas accompanied you to town before," he asked with concern. Elizabeth grinned at him, "Oh, I could not wait for her," she explained, slightly sheepish. "I had to show Papa the new volumes that I selected," she said, gesturing with the heavy bundle in her arms. She then looked over his shoulder, curiosity in her eyes at the sight of the older gentleman. Richard thought he saw a flash of confused recognition cross her face.

He cleared his throat slightly and looked towards his father.

"May I introduce you to Lord Fitzwilliam of -Manor, Chesterfield. He is my father." He then turned to said man.

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Longbourne."

Lord Chesterfield seemed to be having the same reaction as his son to when he first lay eyes on Elizabeth as he stared at her disbelievingly and Richard imagined that he saw a glimmer in his eye before it was blinked away. The man required a slight nudge to be brought back to present. He bowed and then smiled hesitantly at the little girl before him.

"How do you do, Lord Chesterfield," she said politely with a small curtsey of her own, wobbling because of the pile of books in her hands.

Richard immediately stepped forward to relieve her of the bundle to which she smiled gratefully.

"Very well, Hertfordshire is a very diverting area," replied the Lord once he had found his voice. As the silence stretched, the older man shot his son a look of desperation briefly to plead his contribution to the conversation. When no help was forthcoming, he scrambled for a topic.

"Are you on your way home?"

Elizabeth was looking at him intently, confusion written on her face.

"Yes I am sir, you seemed to be heading in the other direction so I shall be making my way," she answered with an uncertain smile.

"No, that is quite alright. I should like to walk a little further," he said in a tone he hoped came off as casual. "Perhaps you know more of the countryside than my son here, he is a rather poor guide."

Elizabeth grinned. "I had thought as much," she said cheekily. "But I am to Longbourne and this path does not show much of the landscape," she continued with a small pout.

Lord Chesterfield smiled gently at her. "Then another time, Miss Bennett." He bowed to her once.

"Richard, do you not think it necessary to escort her back home? I can find my way back quite easily," he said pointedly.

Richard was happy to acquiesce. It was no surprise that his father would want to ensure her safety through any means possible. It was obvious that he was convinced.

She was Elizabeth Fitzwilliam

* * *

 **Edited 03.06.16- 10.48pm**

 **My heartfelt thanks to mdg99 for correcting me in my use of titles.**

 **Toothlessthegreat**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes**

 **Hello everyone, yes I am pleased with myself because this is a very fast update comsidering my previous ones and I hope it is to your liking. My beta LizzieB was awesome as always. Thank you!**

 **And to all those who reviewed and gave me stuff to think on, I have left ya'll a small thank you note at the end.**

 **Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 3

The room at the inn was decidedly below standards, with its musty curtains, sparse furniture and the most dreadfully uncomfortable bed. But Lord Chesterfield did not notice any of these atrocities as he strode inside. One incident was taking up precedence in his mind, refusing to leave him at peace; his entirely unexpected meeting with the young girl known in these parts as Miss. Elizabeth Bennett, or as she was addressed in his mind, Elizabeth Fitzwilliam.

He sank onto the lone chair by the inconsequential writing desk, not even noticing when it creaked in protest and exhaled slowly. He absently untied his cravat, hands working at the knots with the ease acquired through regular practise, his agitated mind flitting briefly to the fact that he had not thought to bring his valet along, before settling back onto the matter at hand.

His Elizabeth, his only daughter whom he had loved and lost eight years ago was suddenly thrust into his life again, she had been found when all hope had been forsaken. As the full gravity of the situation settled around him, an enormous joy welled up inside, rendering him deliriously happy for a few blissful moments. However, as was wont to happen, his happiness soon faded beneath the painful memories of his past that now came to the front of his mind.

Screwing his eyes shut tight, he attempted to stave off the onslaught of memories that threatened to overwhelm him. He had vowed to never dwell on these dark thoughts again and for the most part he had been successful, burying himself in work and keeping his mind occupied had gone a long way to preventing days such as these when it all seemed too much to bear.

The day his daughter had been kidnapped was the day that his life and everything in it had gone downhill. And in light of recent events, he now unwillingly relived it, in every excruciating detail.

He could remember walking past the nursery door, catching a glimpse of his daughter ambling about the nursery and the fondness with which he had looked at her. He had continued down the hall, calling for his valet, he was to view his estate with Henry today, as he had done on a regular basis every week.

His younger son and wife had departed that day to Pemberley, which was but ten miles from his own estate, to visit the Darcy family. Their departure coinciding with his wish to view the grounds, left the house empty, with only the servants going about their work.

But never had he doubted the safety of his beloved daughter. His servants were all extremely loyal to the Fitzwilliam family and he trusted them to watch out for Elizabeth. However, he had failed to recollect that the nurse maid they had hired for Elizabeth was a new addition to the household. Her references were exceptionally good and she had proved her competence on more than one occasion. Because of this, he had been careless enough to assume that she could be of no harm to the family.

The memories were coming faster now, his fists clenching of their own volition. When he had returned it was to a house in uproar, Elizabeth was not in the nursery and the nurse maid was nowhere to be found. There could be no doubt, she had made off with the child.

Furious and more anxious than he'd ever been, Lord Chesterfield had immediately rode into the small village nearby demanding information on the chaise and four which had past by and was in turn told that it had been headed for London.

Armed with this meagre knowledge, he had jotted a hasty note to his wife and then made for London. However, the few hours the thief had ahead of him proved to be his undoing, no trace of a private carriage could be found once he entered the big city. Unwilling to concede defeat, he had hired investigators to aid his case, however as he had no other information on the carriage than its basic appearance they made no headway. His enquiries into the nurse maid was also fruitless, as her earlier masters informed him that she had no remaining family, nor were they aware of any of her close acquaintances.

Two years he had spent, scouring the streets of London for any sign of his daughter, to no avail. He had expected a threat of ransom, but none had come and it was with a heavy heart that he had called off the investigation and returned home to a broken hearted wife and devastated family.

He had watched helplessly as his wife refused to eat, refused to sleep and kept to her rooms, wasting away with the loss of her child. She would succumb, officially, to an illness two years later, but he knew the truth: She had simply given up.

There could be no doubt: Lord Chesterfield saw his agony was now complete. His wife and the love of his life left him behind on a path where he could not follow; his youngest child, his little girl, lost to him. Following this chain of events he had withdrawn from his remaining family, preferring to immerse himself in estate management and parliamentary matters than socialize. With no little guilt did he admit to having rather neglected his sons, he had held them at the same arm's length as all the others.

He would have continued on in this vein had it not been for that scrawled note from Richard. His brow furrowed deeply. Perhaps it was time he stopped avoiding everyone, perhaps it was time to be a good father to his children. Hopefully it wasn't all too late.

000

"And that is all the information you have?" asked Lord Chesterfield as he leaned back on his chair, steepling his fingers together and staring into the fire thoughtfully. "I don't see how I could have collected more," said Richard wearily. The Lord nodded slowly. "I suppose you couldn't have. But I heard that there was a card party to be held tomorrow." He said carefully.

"And?"

"And Sir William seems to be quite the talkative fellow, I was wondering whether we could get some more insight on the Bennets with the local gossip."

Richard blinked.

"That is a very good idea," he finally spoke. "Will you be joining me there then?"

Lord Chesterfield grimaced.

"I consider all social gatherings rather distasteful and conversing with others is not my strong point but I see no better alternative. I trust you know how to gather the needed knowledge?" he asked.

Richard nodded, the shadow of a grin on his lips.

"Father, you should know that I can be perfectly charming when need be."

The smiles accompanying these statements faded slightly when Lord Chesterfield spoke next.

"Richard, I know that these last eight years were difficult for our family. I also know, my behaviour was not that of an exemplary father as it should have been." Here he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I have been selfish in the extreme by distancing myself from you and your brother. I lost my wife and daughter but so too did you lose mother and sister. Having acted so wretchedly, avoiding the both of you such as I did.. I can only express the utmost appreciation for the fine young men you both have become."

Richard's eyes softened for the first time since entering the room. The practised stiff formality that he had developed when in the presence of his father over the years faded for a brief moment, as he placed a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder.

"It was a trying period for us all father, but now we have cause to hope. My fondest wish was once that our family would strive to be closer, but it would be no good to dwell on the past."

And for the first time in eight years, Lord Chesterfield accepted the olive branch his son offered.

* * *

Richard smiled politely and entered the various conversations about him with all the ease of a well bred gentleman. He spoke on all kinds of topics while being dealt his hand at cards, occasionally glancing toward his father to make out his countenance.

For his part, Lord Chesterfield was putting an admirable effort into conversing with the other men. He did look rather out of place and withdrawn in the boisterous environment of the Meryton society, however the general good will of the people soon put him at ease. Though he did not find much intelligent conversation, he found the company diverting at the very least.

"Tis a shame Bennet was unable to attend, he always was a good hand at whist," said a gentleman nearby, effectively drawing Richard's attention away from his reserved father.

Leaning forward, Richard played his card and kept the position, pretending to be absorbed in the game so as to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Yes, quite," continued the other man. "Although I must say, it is a relief Mrs. Bennet is absent as well, she is becoming more and more vocal in her effusions over Miss Jane."

"How old is the child now?"

"Hardly a child Sir, already she is fifteen. No doubt she will be coming out into society upon her next birthday."

Richard could see the former nod sagely.

"She has set her sights on the eldest Lucas it seems."

There was a small chuckle all round at this.

"I do not think Lady Lucas appreciates this interest. She had always wanted a society heiress for her son, although from where she could find one is beyond me."

Richard sighed, rocking back on his chair disappointedly as the conversation shifted again. He would need to initiate some kind of talk so as to successfully turn it to his benefit. He waited patiently for Sir William, who was seated next to him, to play his hand before striking up a conversation.

"I say, the Bennets seem to be a very agreeable family. I have met Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth on a few occasions, and they appear to me such charming children." He began casually. "In fact, Miss Elizabeth rather reminds me of my own sister back at home," he added boldly.

Sir William nodded jovially. "Yes, they are excellent young ladies. My Charlotte is quite firm friends with Miss Elizabeth, since childhood." The man replied.

"The Lucas' and the Bennets are family friends I presume?" he asked politely, casting about for a way to manipulate the conversation.

"Oh most certainly, why we have been acquainted since childhood! Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas are very dear friends," laughed Sir William as he took a sip of his wine. "Lady Lucas was even present during Mrs. Bennets confinement periods." He continued and then paused thoughtfully; "Although not when Miss Elizabeth was due."

Richard seized the subject with alacrity.

"Why was that, sir?" he asked, doing his best to pose the query nonchalantly.

Sir William frowned slightly.

"Oh, Mrs. Bennet was not in Meryton during that period, in fact we had no news that she was with child till late into her confinement. The whole family had moved to London, as there was some financial problem at Longbourne and when they returned none of the children were with them. All were staying with their Aunt and Uncle in London."

Richard frowned in confusion.

"And when did you and your good wife see the new addition to the family?" he asked, hoping that he did not sound too forward.

"Ah, Miss Bennet returned six months later but Miss Elizabeth did not return with her. There were complications with her birth, you see, and she had to receive medical attention" was the man's grave reply. "Mr. Bennet made regular visits to London however. And three years later he returned with Miss Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet informed me that her situation had been dire indeed."

The man then went on to speak of Miss Mary and Miss Kitty, whom he had not yet had occasion to meet. The subject held little interest for Richard and with his troubled mind he played the next several hands extremely ill.

000

Richard explained what he had learnt to his father as soon as the both of them had retired to the inn.

"Well, this sheds some light over the situation, but at the same time confuses us greatly." Remarked the Earl once the particulars were relayed to him.

"Mrs. Bennet had come back from London without both her children, yet informing them of the birth of a child. Therefore I think that she either had a another child who perished at birth or Sir William was not telling the entire truth." Richard frowned. "How can we take that as an option? We cannot claim that he is lying." The Earl smiled grimly.

"Ah but you forget. I was gathering information as well. Mrs. Phillips, who is the sister of Mrs. Bennett had some interesting news. Although I doubt she even recalls that she gave away such information. She is prone to ramble."

Richard nodded, intrigued. "Go on."

"She was put out at Mrs. Bennet this evening I think, as she was expounding on all her faults for some reason or another. She made mention that her sister was very bad at communicating. Then with little prodding, she expounded on this remark, telling me that her sister had not even mentioned the birth of Miss Elizabeth once she returned to town. Only when Mr. Bennet returned three years later, with the girl in tow, had she been privy to that information.

"Apparently the Bennets have explained that they were unwilling to tell anyone of the birth of their daughter, as she was extremely ill and due to complications at birth it was assumed that she would not survive."

Lord Chesterfield eyed Richard shrewdly.

"Plausible yes, but not enough to convince me. Also consider the time frames Richard." The Earl paused before proceeding cautiously.

"Elizabeth was but four years of age at the time of her removal from us. But she could easily have been proclaimed to be but three years due to her relatively small build. The Bennetts remained in London for some time before returning without Mrs. Bennet. She returned six months later, still unaccompanied by Elizabeth. If Elizabeth was kidnapped three years, later at the age of four, they would have passed her off as a girl of three manageably."

Richard sighed, dropping his face into his hands.

"This is all very perplexing father, I do not see how we can be sure of this unless we confront Bennet. However, why do you think that Sir William was lying?" he asked.

Lord Chesterfield stared into the fire, "I would say that he was feeling embarrassed to admit that he had not known of the birth of a child of his 'good friends.'"

Richard snickered.

"Yes, it would give an opposite interpretation to the one he had hoped to imply. But moving back to the subject, I say we confront Bennet tomorrow with the information we have. We should be cautious in dealing with this. I say we now devise what we will speak of on the morrow."

The Earl expressed his agreement. "And how do you suggest we go about this?"

Richard stood up and began pacing. He needed to formulate a tactic to force Mr. Bennet to answer.

"I say we show every confidence in our actions. We should give him the impression that we are unequivocally certain that she is Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. If he has nothing to hide, he will be equally firm in his reply. If not, I am sure we will be able to prey upon his weakness until he confesses. I shall state all the evidence we have, along with a few falsehoods, to see how well he knows his child. Then we should speak of most of what we have gathered from Sir William and Mrs. Phillips." He decided briskly.

Lord Chesterfield nodded. "Yes, that seems a good way to approach the situation. I have it on good word that Mr. Bennet is a rather indolent person and does not enjoy confrontation. He might give up the battle sooner than we anticipate."

The two men continued to discuss their plans and speech in earnest that night, going through all details before Richard finally took his leave.

* * *

Mr. Bennet looked up as a knock was heard at his study door. Ignoring it a moment, he sighed wearily and returned his gaze to the morning paper. How he disliked being interrupted.

"Enter."

The door swung open and Mr. Hill, the butler of Longbourne, walked in. He bowed once, "A Lord Chesterfield and Lt. Richard Fitzwilliam to see you."

Mr. Bennet started. He had not had the pleasure of being introduced to the former and he knew of the latter from merely one short visit. Putting down his paper and wondering what the two men would want to discuss, he bid them enter. Mr. Hill soon returned with the two men in question, showing them into the study before closing the door behind them.

"Sit down gentlemen," said Mr. Bennet, gesturing to the chairs opposite his desk before seating himself.

Lt. Fitzwilliam introduced the two with stiff politeness.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked curiously once the introductions were made. Lord Chesterfield, whose eyes had never left Mr. Bennet's since the moment he entered the room, now spoke.

"We have come to discuss a matter of great importance and I shall get down straight to the point." He said sternly. Mr. Bennet wondered at this, he could think of no topic which they would wish to speak about, the Earl was a very important man, what could he possibly want to refer to him about.

"Eight years ago my daughter, Elizabeth, was taken from my family. She was absconded from my estate in Derbyshire to the city of London." Here he took in a painful breath.

"My son, Richard, was recently situated at Meryton with the rest of his regiment. He came upon your daughter, Miss Elizabeth, while out on a walk."

Mr. Bennet, who had grown decidedly pale at the beginning of his speech, suddenly began to speak. It was imperative that he defend himself. The matter he had never wished to be spoken of again was being brought to light and the repercussions he and his family would face if this ever got out would be very harsh indeed.

"Sir, you cannot be implying what I assume you are, I-"

Lord Chesterfield was quick to cut in, his gaze settling darkly on the man.

"You will not interrupt me, Mr. Bennet," he said quietly, yet the command in his tone could not be mistaken and Mr. Bennet could do little but comply to his demand.

"My son has found infallible data, it proves that your daughter is, in fact, Elizabeth Fitzwilliam." He said, confidence oozing out of his posture and manner of speech. "So do not attempt to persuade us on the matter, Mr. Bennet. The gossip around town has not failed to reach our ears. Richard has been most resourceful during his stay at Hertfordshire. Do you not think it strange that you announced the birth of your second daughter three years after the fact?" He continued triumphantly.

"She was in need of medical assistance, we did not know if she would survive," protested Mr. Bennet. But even to his own ears the explanation sounded weak. Internally, he was furious. There was no doubt in his mind as to whom had seen fit to arm the men with this much information. Many of the families among Longbourne had thought it strange that they did not announce the birth of their second daughter, but he had been able to hush up the matter by stating illness. Until now.

"So dire that you did not speak of it to your closest family? I find that very hard to believe." Retorted Lord Chesterfield, his eyes boring into Mr. Bennet's.

"Now tell me truthfully, is she your daughter?"

Mr. Bennet thought quickly. There must be some way that he could salvage this situation. Could he persuade them that he had found the girl and brought her up as his own? No, they would question his earlier protestations. Could he blame his defence on not wanting to part with his daughter? That was equally damning, especially considering a loving substitute parent would want to see the child among her real family. Finally looking up from his position at the desk he gave out a long, suffering sigh. There was no way out.

"She is not."

 **A/N**

 **Dear reviewers. I thank you all for the support you have shown for this story. It is my first P and P fic and I was very surprised and happy with all the feedback. Several of you posed some big questions and hopefully Im answering them bit by bit. The constructive critisism also helped a lot.**

 **I'm so glad that you spent some of your valuable time to review. Thank you again. :)**

 **Toothlessthegreat.**

 **Edited 06.06.16/ 07.13am**

 **Hello again everyone, I've made a few changes to the story. An eight year time gap seemed better suited to the story than a six year one (Thank you for the help Cynithesia). And also as many people have pointed out, I've finally gotten round to changing the spellings to 'Bennet'**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes**

 **Hello everyone!** **I have addressed several issues that people brought up and I hope it cleared some of your objections. Also, since everyone seems confused by the age's of the Bennets, I'll explain.**

 **Jane Bennet: 15yrs. Elizabeth Bennet(Fitzwilliam): 12yrs (believes she is eleven years old)**

 **Mary, Kitty and Lydia ages are not important, you can assume their canon ages.**

 **A major thanks to LizzieB! This chapter would never have made it out if it weren't for you!**

 **And my sincere thanks to all the people who reviewed and added this story to their favourites. All this feedback is so very encouraging. Love you all! :)**

 **Without further ado. The story.**

* * *

CHAPTER 4

The study at Longbourne suddenly became the quietest place in Longbourn. Not that that was much of a difference from the norm, Mr Bennet thought wryly. However, this silence was an extremely odd one. The two men across from him had frozen as soon as the words had left his mouth. There wasn't much else he could have done, he admitted to himself. Not when faced with such frankness other than to lie blatantly.

He had no qualms about lying if it meant saving face in dire situations, but it was more probable than not that his lie would have been found out. The gentlemen before him had all the means of discovering any falsehood he related to them and all the reason to make life miserable for him once they did.

Mr. Bennet shifted his attention back to them and watched as the Earl, whose face had betrayed not the slightest emotion when accusing him, now filled with relief. Lt. Fitzwilliam on the other hand looked thunderous. "You are admitting to have abducted my sister!?" His tone was so wrathful that the Earl felt it necessary to place a restraining hand on the young man's shoulder.

Mr. Bennet hastened to correct him. "No, sir. I did not in any way kidnap your sister." The Earl's voice was hard and cold as steel, despite how he still held his son back. "Yet, she is here. I fail to see how she came to be in your care, if you were not in any way related to the kidnapping."

Once more, Mr. Bennet wondered if he could lead them astray with a story that would place him out of any danger, but just as quickly dismissed it. Should his scheme be unsuccessful, the consequences would be swift and harsh.

After all if he relayed the truth of the matter, they could not fault him his decisions, could they? Disapprove, yes. But in the circumstances, he had no other choice. So he rationalized, anyhow.

"Sir, I believe I would like to explain to you both the entire story." He paused here, looking upon the Earl for permission to proceed. When they had each nodded their acceptance, he took a deep breath and cautiously began his tale.

"I am sure you know, as the information is widely spread," he said bitterly. "My family was in dire straits some years ago. This was because of some minor land matter that went much further than I had assumed it would. I am not, shall we say, the most impeccable estate owner of these parts and at the time I had believed that we could come out of that phase. However, I had chosen to disregard my wife's frivolity and her lack of economy. Due to these reasons and many more, Longbourn was on the brink of bankruptcy and I was desperate. We had a daughter at that time you see and I was quite at a loss on how to provide for them." Here Bennet paused, lost to the past emotions of fear and worry. Soon though, he shook himself and continued.

"At around that time, a very wealthy investor* by the name Mr. Saunders had entered Meryton. And although his occupation is not looked upon very favourably** he was an extremely affable fellow and soon the entire town was prone to think well of him. At one of my weakest moments, I approached him about the subject of money. He then persuaded me to borrow quite a sum from him, on the pretext of lowering the interest substantially.

"Following said persuasion, first from Mr. Saunders and then my own wife, I proceeded to extract heavily from him. He was very generous, providing me a period of two years to pay off the debt. During this time, my family often travelled to London as I had several things to deal with in regard to pooling the money. On the day that he arrived to collect, Saunders was in a most urgent state, demanding the money from me immediately on the claims that he had important business to conduct. Of course, I did not yet have even quarter the money I owed him and he was furious. He went so far as to threaten to send me to Debtors prison! With accord to the sum I owed him, the threat was very real.

"Eventually, we managed to come to the agreement that I would work for him as long as it was required to pay off the debt. It was then that he proceeded to explain to me, in detail, my new 'occupation'. I was to house abducted children for the time required to gather a ransom. When I balked at this, again he reminded me of the other options open to me. Namely, debtor's prison and the taking of Longbourne to pay the sum owed. Of course, this was unacceptable. Thus, I agreed, albeit reluctantly." Mr Bennet looked up to see if he would be interrupted by the two gentlemen, seeing them not make any move to do so, he carried on.

"Within a few weeks, I received my first assignment and I immediately attempted to ready all the essentials needed to carry out my plans. I even decided to rent out an apartment in the more discreet section of London, to effectively house the children that would be coming under my care. When I entered the place where I was to collect the child, I found that I was kept in the dark about this operation. I was to house the daughter of an Earl for two months. It was at that moment I realised that something had gone terribly wrong. As I am sure you understand, it is so very dangerous to meddle in the affairs of peers, especially for long periods of time. However, there was no way of extracting myself from the situation and I accepted.

Elizabeth was entrusted to me and I decided to remove her to my wife's relations, the Gardiners. They knew of my situation and were deeply disappointed in me for getting into this mess. They did not, however, know that I had agreed to house kidnapped children and had assumed that I had worked out some other sort of deal with the Mr. Saunders. Therefore they believed me when I told them that the man wanted me to take care of his niece for a while, to partially repay the debt. Here, I could be certain no one suspected me of my dark deed.

Three months passed without any word from Saunders and I was growing increasingly anxious. I was most concerned about the authorities intercepting this entire operation and myself being jailed with the rest of the criminals. Finally, Saunders arrived but not bearing any good news. He said that the person behind this operation had made it clear that under no circumstances must the girl be returned to her family. When I questioned him on what to do with her, he merely told me that she was now my burden to bear and that he was leaving the country. He told me to consider the debt paid and then disappeared from the premises.

I explained to the Gardiners that he had abandoned the girl, leaving out the reason for doing so of course, and that she was now my responsibility. They urged me to keep her and I must admit to having grown fond of her in the time we were together. Therefore, I informally adopted her as my own daughter. The Gardiners were persuaded to keep all this hushed up, as the scandal that would result from the public being informed would be very great indeed.

"After much plotting and thought, I decided on a suitable plan to introduce Elizabeth as my biological daughter to the people in Hertfordshire. Along with myself, my family arrived in London a little over three years back as I was attending business there and we remained for some time before she returned to Longbourn. Using that information, I now devised an explanation. I would say that Mrs. Bennet had conceived and given birth in London. I would also say Elizabeth was kept there due to illness arising from complications during her birth. The severity was such as to give cause to believe she would not survive; therefore no announcement was given concerning her birth. It was an extremely risky plan and bordering unbelievable. But the people of Meryton are a simple folk, who do not give much pondering on such things for all that long. There is always gossip at the beginning, which soon goes stale."

Lt. Fitzwilliam chose to interrupt him here, unable to keep silent any longer. He was fairly bursting from questions.

"So you have acted as parent to my sister for all these years? How did your wife react to all this?"

Mr. Bennet blanched. The lieutenant before him was perceptive for his young age. It seemed as if he had witnessed the coldness that Mrs. Bennet displayed towards Elizabeth. Grimacing, knowing nothing could justify his wife's mistreatment of the child, he became defensive.

"Mrs. Bennet was not pleased to have to put up with another child. She considered Elizabeth a burden, but I could not fault her for that. She was, after all, not her own daughter. I admit to Mrs. Bennet being very harsh and on some occasions even cruel to Elizabeth, but I attempted to diffuse the situation as much as I could by taking her under my wing. She is a bright child and immediately began to seek refuge in my study to get away from her mother," his eyes widened at that point, "that is- I did not mean to imply that Mrs. Bennet is her mother-" he was cut off brusquely.

"If I find that she was abused in any sort of way-" Lord Chesterfield began quietly, his voice strained with barely controlled anger. Mr. Bennet immediately attempted to placate the Earl.

"Sir, I assure you that she was not harmed physically in any way. She only suffered verbal tirades from my wife who was, at the time, growing frustrated at not being able to conceive an heir. Elizabeth has long since held my fondness and I would allow nothing of that sort to occur."

Lord Chesterfield sighed, raising his hand up to pass over his face. Again, the heavy silence of before settled in. Except this time it was laden with heavy thoughts and doubts. Finally he spoke.

"I understand that, given the circumstances you could not have acted in a better way. I do not condone your actions which brought you into this situation in the first place. Neither am I particularly happy with you for attempting to conceal this from me. Your wife, as is coming to my attention, is a very hard hearted and single minded individual, but I am of no mind to begin censuring the character of people, however much they anger me, when there are much more important things to consider.

I will be taking Elizabeth back with me and you will do well to stay out of our way. If you do so, you have my word that my family will not exercise its considerable influence to ruin you for your misdeeds." He heaved in a deep breath at this point, raising his head to meet Mr. Bennet squarely in the eye.

"I also feel that I owe you my gratitude for taking care of my daughter."

Lt. Fitzwilliam scoffed slightly beside him, still glowering darkly at Mr. Bennet but allowing his father to finish saying his piece.

"Do not think that this one good deed pardons your sins. However, I have no interest in showing my disdain for your low morals in agreeing to partake in illegal activities. You have done all you could to care for my girl and for that, I will thank you. Pray expect no more than this."

It was at the end of this quiet, yet resounding speech that Mr. Bennet drew in a sigh of relief. To think that he had managed to extricate himself from the situation unharmed was an outcome he greatly appreciated. After allowing himself a few seconds of time to calm, he faced the two men in front of him, mentally preparing to discuss the subject of Elizabeth moving away from him and thus the only sensible conversation to be had in the house.

* * *

Elizabeth peeked her head in through the backdoor of Longbourne, carefully inspecting the area before allowing herself to ease through it. She trotted quietly into the kitchen, smiling brightly at Hill on her way up.

The older woman smiled as she watched the young girl slip in through the back. The girl had learnt very well from her past mistakes. Mrs. Bennet's open disapproval of the young girl was a known fact and Miss Elizabeth learning from it, took great pains to avoid being caught by her in these sorts of situations. The back door of the house had become her most favoured entrance, resulting in her appearance becoming accustomed to in the kitchens.

Elizabeth quickly scanned the halls and scampered off, brushing ineffectively at her slightly soiled gown as she took the stairs two at a time. She was passing her father's study on her way to the room she shared with Jane when she heard them. Low voices resonated in the study.

She could hear the muffled voice of her father speaking somewhat resignedly. Brow furrowing in confusion and curiosity she remembered her father's views on eavesdropping and forced herself to move further down the hall, slipping quietly into her room to further ponder the situation.

It was strange that he was receiving callers this early. It was strange that he was receiving callers at all. There were a few who came to discuss matters with him and the few that did, did not usually wish to retire to his study so suddenly.

Shrugging away these thoughts, she quickly called in Betty to help her brush off her gown, apologising guiltily when confronted with the face that her maid made at the sight of her. Elizabeth then moved downstairs to find Jane. Perhaps she would know who Papa was speaking with.

Elizabeth found her sister working on some embroidery in the parlour, Mrs. Bennet sat nearby going over some designs she had purchased. Her nose scrunched slightly at the prospect of bringing about this conversation in front of her mother, but having nothing else against it she sat down slowly.

"Jane, did you know that Papa has some people with him in the study. I heard them discussing something or other and Papa was speaking in hushed tones. Strange is it not?" She asked, picking at a crease in her skirt. Attempting to make herself as unobtrusive as possible so as not to anger her mother.

Jane looked up, "Yes, Mrs. Hill told Mama that Papa had callers. She did not say, but I think it was Lt. Fitzwilliam. I saw a red coat." She explained.

Mrs. Bennet looked up at this, her eyes lighting up at this piece of information.

"Oh! I heard from town that he is the son of an Earl! Goodness me! He would be a very good match for you, dear Jane!"

Elizabeth tried, very unsuccessfully, to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Her mother had not let up on speaking about finding a husband for Jane since John Lucas proclaimed her to be 'a very handsome woman'.

"What does it matter that he is the son of an Earl. Should not Jane marry for love?" She demanded, instantly regretting it when her mother began lecturing her, throwing in a few of the degrading comments to her person that she had come to expect. Not willing to sit by and listen, she excused herself as quickly as she was able and practically raced from the room. How Jane could stand to listen to all that spiel was beyond her.

She decided that she would go upstairs to retrieve a book, then eventually return to the parlour. By that time, her mother would have forgotten her impertinence. She did not admit to herself that she was also curious to see what Lt. Fitzwilliam was about, visiting her father.

Sparing not another glance at the entrance to the parlour she stepped up the steps into the hallway. She was startled to see the door to the study swing open and two men emerge.

"I will speak to you more on the details tomorrow. If-" the man stopped speaking abruptly when Lt. Fitzwilliam, who had spied her standing at the stairs, nudged him discreetly.

He turned around and Elizabeth recognized him as Lord Chesterfield. She hastily dipped into a curtsey, cringing inwardly at the uncomfortable look on her father's face, he was quite strict about not listening in on doors, particularly his study.

"Miss Elizabeth. I had thought that you would be enjoying the outdoors at this time?" Questioned Lt. Fitzwilliam with what seemed to be forced cheerfulness. He moved to her side, immediately engaging her in conversation and offering to escort her down to the parlour. Relieved that she had found an excuse to escape her father's displeasure she immediately accepted, consequently forgetting about her book and they all retired to the front.

The afternoon was not a very enjoyable one for Elizabeth that day. Her mother was extremely embarrassing with her thoughtless questions and prying nature, making both men uncomfortable with her insinuations. She was also disappointed to see that both the Earl and Lt. Fitzwilliam, who were all that was amiable with her, did not seem very happy in the lack of propriety shown by her family and seemed disdainful almost, towards her parents.

When they bid their leave half an hour later, Elizabeth was not satisfied with the afternoons call. Lt. Fitzwilliam had seemed quite withdrawn, not half his usual self and she could not help but speculate on what they had discussed with her father. She was not surprised, however, when she was called to attend her father soon after they left. Guiltily, she made her way up to the study, entering quietly and closing the door when bid.

"I'm sorry Papa. I did not mean to eavesdrop. I was jus-."

He interrupted her. "Did you hear what we were discussing?" His face did not betray any emotion. But she was certain that he was not pleased, and if she was not so concerned about her possible punishments she would have noticed his pallor.

"No, Papa," she said quickly.

He nodded. "I did not call you to talk about eavesdropping again Elizabeth."

He said slowly. "In fact, what I am about to tell you will please you, most probably."

Elizabeth was startled. She had entered her father's study under the mistaken belief that she would be receiving a stern scolding. Instead, Mr. Bennet carried on, not even waiting for her to formulate a reply.

"I understand that you are becoming fast friends with Lt. Fitzwilliam?" It was not posed as a question. She answered it anyhow.

"Yes sir," her face drawn into confusion.

"He has said that you remind him of a relation that he loved most dearly, apparently his father has the same views. Lt. Fitzwilliam proclaims you as a bright young girl that he would like to further his acquaintance with. They have offered to take you to London with them and to supply an education.

I have no doubt that they have a large, extensive library that you would like to explore, they are after all, very wealthy." The bitterness wrapped up in his statement, such as it was, went unnoticed by Elizabeth as she was still trying to absorb the information that was being expounded to her.

"While you have first formed a familiarity with Fitzwilliam the young, the Lieutenant may be going over seas in a short while and as such the Earl is in want of company," he continued, glancing at some papers on his desk with an air bordering on nonchalance.

Elizabeth blinked. She blinked again. Could it be? This was truly going to happen, not a dream she would soon wake from?

"They want me to accompany them London? To educate me even?" she asked finally.

"You heard me perfectly well, Lizzie. Although I suppose they may take you with them to their estate in Chesterfield, Derbyshire." Mr. Bennet said in his usual lackadaisical manner. "Anyhow they will pester me, no doubt, about all the arrangements to be made." Elizabeth stared at him a moment longer, then jumped from her chair. In a flurry of motion she hugged Mr. Bennet and withdrew, a broad grin stretching her lips.

"Oh! But this is wonderful! Think of all the books I may read there, and the fashionable ladies out in society, and spending days with the Lt. , who has a great many stories I should think, and they will educate me even?" she continued in this vein for a moment longer until she was cut short by her father.

"It is a comfort to know that you are so eager to get away from us, here at Longbourne." Mr. Bennet commented dryly. This time, his chagrin was noted by Elizabeth, who immediately hastened to reassure him.

"It is not so much as getting away from Longbourne, this is my home Papa. You shall forever have my love, of course. But, I do so enjoy Lt. Fitzwilliam's company and," she bit her lip at this point. "Mama has become more irritated by me recently, her speech at times.. it would be nice to avoid that for a while." This admission was spoken so softly that Mr. Bennet had to strain to hear her. He was not given the chance to reply, as Elizabeth's mind was already away and whirling.

"Do you not think it strange Papa?" She suddenly changed topics. "Lt. Fitzwilliam and I have become good friends, but I wonder at his father agreeing to this scheme. He does not know me all that well, perhaps we should not get on with one another. He may think me coarse or ignorant." She furrowed her brow in contemplation, Mr. Bennet did not seem much eager to debate on this topic.

"Who are we to question the eccentricities and notions of the rich? I suggest you take this sudden opportunity, as I doubt you will see one of it's kind again. Arrangements shall be made; it is decided already. You may see yourself out now, Elizabeth." He finished shortly, pointedly snapping open a newspaper.

Elizabeth was more than happy to race out of the study. She had to speak to Jane! She was going with the Fitzwilliams! It seemed as if she could only think in exclamations at the moment and she worried briefly if her mother was beginning to influence her.

This random (and admittedly, impertinent) thought ended up halting her movement. Her mother would react very badly to this piece of news, she was sure. She would no doubt be disappointed that it was not Jane going to London. And she, Elizabeth, would be charged with snatching away Jane's chances of entering society until the guilt removed all joy she currently felt.

Deciding on leaving it up to her father to broach the subject, she set off at a more sedate pace to find her favourite sister. Jane's presence would be a comfort, even if she could not yet share her news. Elizabeth would be content to wait until bedtime.

* * *

That night as she crawled into bed with Jane, she told her everything that Papa had mentioned to her, conveying her excitement by rolling about under the covers.

Jane was very happy at the presented opportunity and the both of them talked and laughed about all that Elizabeth could occupy her time with while away. Mirth left them quickly however, replaced by a sudden mutual sorrow at having to be parted for so long.

"But Jane, do you not think it strange that they have issued me the invitation? And so soon?" questioned Elizabeth. The same question to which she had not been able to extract a sufficient answer from her father now weighed heavily on her mind all the more.

"I'm sure that they were just eager to invite you Lizzie. They were both such amiable gentlemen." was her sister's reassuring answer. Then she let out a small giggle.

"And I do believe the Lieutenant is very much eager for your company," she added in a startlingly un-Jane like fashion.

"Jane! What are you implying?" asked Elizabeth, a mixture of shock and amusement colouring her tone. Jane laughed softly. "I was merely teasing Lizzie. But surely you have noticed that he is very interested in you and your wellbeing?"

The idea made Elizabeth feel sick in the stomach for some reason and she begged off the matter, claiming that he was far too much her senior and merely a friend. Jane, never one to intentionally cause another discomfort, returned to the imaginings of all Lizzie might do in the future. When the two girls could scarcely keep their eyes open, Elizabeth bid her sister goodnight but gave one more wiggle of joy. She could hardly wait to see what more information the morrow would bring.

* * *

*in the 18th/19th century, people who lent money without any other credit based transaction were termed as investors.

**their profession wasn't considered a very honourable one.


End file.
